Clamp for rotary can openers



Feb. 22, 1927.

J. T. M GRATH I CLAMP FOR ROTARY CAN OPENERS Filed Aug. 6. 1921 2 Shasta-Shut 1 l '50 .47 J, WW v j I .46 4+ W" 4 x I. F .54 9 5+ Iii 4 F- Iiil F .25 3 I Feb. 22 1927. 1,618,457 J. 1'. M GRATH LAuP FOR mum on ormmns Filed Aug. 6. 1921 2 Sheets-Shoat 2 Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES JOHN THOMAS -MCGRATH, OF BLOOMING'ION, ILLINOIS.

CLAMP FOR ROTARY CAN OPENERS.

Application filed August 6, 1921. Serial No. 490,430.

This invention relates to improvements in can openers, and refers more particularly to a machine of the rotary type in which the cutting knife is supported and designed to be revolved over the can head in circular alinement with the coacting zone of the head at which the head is to be cut. The machine shown is particularly adapted for heavy duty work, as in restaurants; hotels, for opening paint cans, and the like, although it can be employed for lighter domestic work. Y i

A can opening machine embodying my invention embraces means forfholding and locking a can in position, and preferably designed to receive and hold cans of different diameters, combined with a revolvingcutter suitably supported to act on thefhead of' a, can thus supported for severing and removing all or aportionof the head, the cutter being mounted'and adapted to be revolved about the axis of the can at a desirable dis tance from the lock seam that connects the head with the body; 7

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient can opener of this type adapted to quickly receix e and lock therein a can to be opened, and provided with a revolvingknife which acts uponthe can when thus held stationary to quickly travel about a line at a predetermined'distance from the margin of the head to wholly or partially sever the head.

Another'object of the invention is to provide a novel support and locking means designed to quickly adjust the holder to, cans of varying vdiameters and to lock the cans rigidly in place with respect thereto.v

Other objects of the invention are to further improve and simplify can opening machines of this general character, and the invention consists in the combinationand arrangement of the parts shown in the drawings and described in the specification, and is pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a can opening machine embodying my invention, showing in section the table or support to which it is attached. a

Figure 2 is .an end view, oiran enlarged scale, of the knife and its carrier. t

Figure 3 is a section on theline 3-3 of Figure 1. t

Figure 4 is. a sectionion the line of Figure 1, with parts shown in elevation;

Figure 5 is a partial plan and horizontal sectional view, on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a clutch jaw operating disc.

Figure 8 is a plan view of a clutch jaw guide. I p

Figure 9 illustrates a portion of the looking meaiis'for locking in position the parts which adaptthe machine to cans of different heights.

As shown in the drawings, 10 designates a post or standard having a reinforcing rib 11 and parallel beveled guide and gripping faces 12. 13 designates a bracket which is adapted to sustain the can support on which the can is centered and locked while the head is" being out, It is formed at one end with vertically arranged jaws 14, 14 (Fig ues 1 and 5) that are providedwith opposing undercut or angular grooveslfi to fit over the beveled guiding and locking edges 12' of; the post. .Said jaws are adapted to be pressed against said beveled orglocking edges by means of a screw bolt 17, the

threaded end 18 of which engages a threadedv opening ofone of the jaws 14. The other end of the bolt extends loosely through an openingin the opposite jaw which registers withsaid threaded opening- To clamp said aws onthe post the screw 17 isturned to lock the inclined faces of the jaws and post firmly together, and final locking pressure is exerted on said jaws through the medium of a cam lock which embraces a lever 20 that has a forked end and is hinged at its forked end, as by a pin 21, to the adjacent end ofthe screw 17. The forks of said lever are formedwith cam portions 22 which are adapted, when the lever is swung inwardly towards and against the adjacent jaw 14, to

..be pressed against a face or pad 23 of the adjacent jaw to exert final pulling stress on the locking bolt 17. When this form of screw thread and cam lock are employed,

,the lever 20 can be swung out in line with the bolt 17 when the latter is being ,turned to, effect preliminary clamping pressure of thejawson the post, and, therefore, when said lever is swung downwardly, the cam portion 22 ofsaid lever becomes operative to effect final clamping pressure of said parts. 7 Y

The end of the bracket 13 remote from the jaws 14 is formed with'a short vertical hearing sleeve 52;). into said sleeve extends a stud "26 which is locked from rotation hy a pin 27. Said pin is made integral with a clutch guide plate 228, which supported by the pin 27 slightly ahove the upper end of the sleeve 25. The guide plate is therehy tixcd to the hracket arm l3. Said plate :28 is provided on its upper face with a plurality of radial shallow grooves 29 three heingherein shown. which extend to the margins of said plate. 30, 3t] designate a plurality of chuck jaws that are radially disposed relatively to the said guide plate. They are formed on their upper sides with a plurality of can supporting laces ill. and are provided radially outwardly heyond said can supporting faces with inwardly extending lips 32 separated from said faces to form grooves 33 that are adapted to receive and hug the lock seam between the l'iotto n and the body of a can. The said chuck jaws are formed on their inner end to provide shallow guide ribs 3stwhich engage the guide grooves 29 so as to guide the jaws truly radially inwardly and outwardly when the latter are operated by the operating means hereinafter described.

86 designates a rotative jaw operating disc. It is provided at its center with an opening 37 which is offset or flanged at its under side in a manner to he seated between the upper end of the bracket arm hearing sleeve and the guide plate .28. It will thus be seen that the plate 56 is centrally held with respectto said sleeve 25 and the bearing stud 2G and also that it free to turn or rotate 011 the axis of said stud 2G. The said chuck jaw operating disc is provided on its upper face with a rugged marginal upstanding rim and radially within said rim with a lower circular upstanding rib or guide 40 to guidingly engage the edge of the Fixed guide plate. The chuck jaws are provided on their lower sides with driv- .1ng lugs 42 which are adapted to enter short eccentric grooves 4-3 formed on the upper face of said operating disc 36. and radially lo ated between the guide rihs 4o and the rim 39 of the chuck operating disc.

With the construction descrihed. it will he noted that when the parts are asscmhlcd in the manner shown in Figure (3, with the stud $36 of the tired guide plate 2: centered in the sleeve and locked thereto hy the pin 27} and with the rotation chuck actuating disc relatively mounted on the upper shouldered end oi the sleeve 25, and with the chuck jaws placed with their guiding lugi's FM; in the guide grooves 28, and their driving lugs 12 in the eccentric driving grooves rotation. of said operating disc :16, as by means of a. hand piece 45. will serve to move the chucks inwardly or outwardly depending upon the direction of rotation of the actuating disc 36, so as to thcrehy adjust the chucks closely on the lower ends of the cans to he opened. The presence of the rchatcs Ii in the chuck jaws hctween their supporting laces and clamping flanges or lips provides spaces to receive the lock seams at the bottom of the cans, and this relation of the parts ell'ects an interlocking connection hctwcen the jaws and cans which aids the clamping pressure of the jaws to hold the cans in place.

The cutting: mechanism for cutting the head or top of the can thus centered in the machine is made as follows:

-=l7 designates an arm that is hingedly connected by a pin -18 to the topot the post It] and is adapted to he swui'ig HIMVttl'tllX away i'roin and dowl'lvardly towards a limited shoulder 49 at the top of said post. \Vhen said arm ll engages said limiting shoulder 49 said arm is in a horizontal position.

Said arm i7 is provided at its free end with a vertical hearing sleeve 50. Rotatively mounted in said hearing sleeve is a short shaft 51 that is comicctcd ahovo the arm 4-7, as hy means of a pin 52, with a hand crank 58. hilt designates an enlarged head on the lower end of the shaft 51. The upper face of said head bears against the lower end of the sleeve 50, when the hand lever 53 is locked in place, so as to thereby hold the parts in relative alignment. Said head a l is provided with a transverse opening to receive a short rod 56 that may be fastened therein by a set screw 57. One end of the rod is formed with a short flanged vertical holder 58 to receive and support a cutting knife 59, the body of said cutting knife heing held in place by a screw 60. The flange :lormation 01 said head 58 provides lateral shoulders to engage the side edges of the knife, whereby said kni'le, when clamped on the head by the screw (it), is locked firmly in place relatively to the head. The lower end of the knife is formed to provide a central cutting point 62 and with equilateral cutting; edges 63-3, (32), so arranged that the knife may he revolved in either direction to cut the head from the can by either tapered edge 63.

In order to all'ord a rcliahle connection of the knife holder rod with the head 51, the said rod may he flattened or ()l'lKllWVlt'lG made oi irrep ular cross section to lit a like crosa section opening in said head. 'lhe rod is shown as Formed with :1 that face (172 against which the inner end o'l' the clamping screw im 'iing 'ca as shown in l igurcs 2, 3, and l.

lsly reason of the shil'tahle connection ol the knife holding rod 56 with the head 5% of the rotating shaft 51, and its attachment to said head by the set screw 57, it will he observed that said rod may he endwise shifted so as to adjust the i'nachine 't'or cans varying considerahly in diameters. The

15 through the same, a disk resting on said vertical adjustment of the clutch support enables the machine to operate on cans which vary considerably in height. Thus the machine may be said to be universal with respect to both the diameters and heights of the cans to be operated upon.

The lower side of the head 54 is provided with a centering nipple adapted to engage the can head centrally thereof, and to thereby aid to hold the can centered with respect to the cutting knife 59.

I claim:

In a device of the character described, a support having an opening extending support and having a central depression, a circular plate fitting in said depression and having a stem extending through said disk and into the opening in the support, said plate having radial guides in the top thereof, chuck jaws slidable along said guides, said disk having eccentric cam grooves beyond the periphery of said plate, and each jaw having a projection extendinginto one of said grooves.

In witness whereof I claim the foregoing as In invention I hereunto a end In si nature this 27 day of July, 1921.

JOHN THOMAS McGRATI-I. 

